The Roles That We Play
by DarkAngelWind
Summary: On Kain and Cecil's shifting relationship from their early childhood on. Mostly Kain's POV. Pairings: Rosa/Cecil Kain/Rosa. Possible Kain/Cecil for one later chapter. I attempted to stay canon, but I have adjusted a bit, please help if I make any mistakes
1. Distant Prince

"Hurry up, slowpoke!" Six-year-old Kain Highwind called anxiously down the stairs. "He's gonna start without us!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Rosa Farrell shouted up to her best friend, far behind him. Why did Kain always have to be so impatient?

As the pair hurried up the large staircase, they were suddenly interrupted by the yells of two swiftly moving blurs zooming down the banister.

"Look out!" One of them shouted. Rosa was nearly knocked aside as they went past. "Sorry!" The boys called. Without so much as a glance to see if Rosa was alright, they hurried off down the hallway out of sight.

"Rosa! You okay?" Kain inquired, at her side instantly. Rosa just laughed.

"I'm fine Kain, they barely hit me!" Rosa said, taking the hand Kain offered. Kain glared back at the direction of the obnoxious boys.

"Stupid bards. They act like they own the place! I mean, Father would kill me if I-" Kain cut himself off as he noticed Rosa staring at him confused.

"I think you mean _ward_ Kain…" The four-year-old corrected.

"Whatever. Same thing. Either way, they're still jerks. And mean, in Marvin's case. And what kind of name is Marvin anyway- seriously, he's dead if he even touches your hair again. And Sean, he's just creep-"Rosa put a hand over Kain's mouth, stopping him from going off on one of his never-ending tangents again.

"Kain, I thought you wanted to go see Cid? Besides, I think that was Derek and Cecil anyway…let's get going!" She grabbed his hand before he could start talking about the other two princes. Kain grinned, completely unfazed.

"Race 'ya!" He exclaimed. Kain bounded up the stairs two at a time, Rosa right on his heels. Still, he couldn't help but keep his mind on the ba-..wards. Especially that jerk Marvin. He was a really good fighter, and his father seemed to really like him. More than he did Kain. Still, he was creepy. All the other grown-ups said he was a…sa…sad…Kain paused. He couldn't for the life of him remember the term they always used. Oh well. He'd probably remember some other time. He didn't really like any of the four princes anyway. Marvin was obvious; cold, intelligent Sean made everyone uncomfortable; Derek was loud and annoying; while Cecil was sickeningly sweet. He wondered briefly who would even be king from that group. Probably one of the older ones like Marvin or Sean, but…there was no way he'd live under THEIR rule. Maybe he'd start a reb-

"Kain…?" Rosa was waving a hand in front of his face. "You still there…?"

Kain snapped out of his reverie to realize they were already in the eastern courtyard.

"Sorry, Rosa!" Kain said sheepishly. As she shook her head at him, they ran inside.

"CID!" The children shouted in unison. The eccentric fleetmaster ambled over to them at the sound of his name.

"Took you two long enough! Ragnarok and I were getting bored for you!"

"Can we see her now?" Kain pressed eagerly.

"Sure, sure! Just be careful, my baby's still fragile!" Grinning, Cid led the excited children over to his newest airship.


	2. Stupid Little Kid

The small white-haired boy sat against a pillar, utterly alone. Drawing his knees to his chest, the boy rested his face on his palms and stared out at the empty corridor. As he watched in morbid fascination, the shadows seemed to morph into malevolent spirits reaching for him, dissipating only when he looked at them head-on. He whimpered. Just where was he? The boy had lived in this castle for as long as he could remember, but he was fairly certain he had never been in this section before…and where in the world had Derek gone?

He pulled himself into a tighter ball, refusing to look up and wonder where he was. He would not cry. He would NOT cry. He would NOT CRY. He…sighed as drops splattered onto the dusty wood floor…wood? Most of the castle had a form of stone flooring…was he in a basement?

Suddenly, the child was aware of a faint pattering drawing ever nearer to him. The child shivered. He wanted to call out, praying that it was Derek, but thought better of it. This was probably all a trick anyway, to make him reveal his hiding place. Silently as he could manage, he retreated into the shadows. But before he could properly hide himself, a warm hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Excuse me, what are y-" A voice called out from the darkness, and the boy shrieked in terror. Writhing in panic, the boy wrenched himself away from the mysterious person, still screaming.

"Hey! C-calm down! I'm not gonna hurt you!" The shocked voice called again. As the figure drew nearer, the boy could see that it was a girl. She had long blonde hair and blue eyes, and she smiled at him warmly.

"What were you doing down here anyway? She inquired curiously.

"…Playing hide-and-seek." The child responded softly. The girl looked around the dim, empty corridor.

"With who?"

"Derek."

"Derek, as in the prince…?" She asked curiously, titling her head. The boy nodded fervently.

"But…I just saw the prince upstairs…he was with some older boys from the village." She said, confused. The boy stared at her open-mouthed.

"R-really…?" The boy asked tentatively, voice quivering.

"Yeah, but…" She glanced at the boy, who looked like was about to burst into tears. "W-wait! Don't worry! You can play with me and my friend, okay?" She added hastily, hoping her smile looked reassuring. It must have, because the boy's tears evaporated quickly into a beam.

"Thanks! My name's Cecil Harvey, what's yours?" He exclaimed excitedly. She laughed.

"I know who you are, Cecil. My name's Rosa." He smiled at her.

"That's a pretty name, just like the flower!" Cecil remarked sweetly. "By the way…are you sure that your friend wouldn't mind me coming with you?"

"Of course not! He'd love for you to join us!" Rosa said sincerely.

* * *

"No." The blonde-haired seven-year-old said coldly to his friend. "There is no way that….that…" Kain paused, trying to think of a word. "Drooling BABY can come with us."

"He is not a drooling baby! And besides, he has no one else to play with him so you better be nice to him, Kain!" Rosa half-whispered, half-hissed to her friend. Cecil, however, could hear perfectly well.

"Um…you know, I don't want to be…trouble…so if you want I can go…" He finished awkwardly. Rosa flashed him a grin.

"No, no, it's perfectly fine. Kain is just in a bad mood, that's all! He can play with us, right Kain?"

Kain stared at his friend. She glared at him with her hands on her hips, and her eyes practically bore holes into his own. He sighed and folded his arms. "Fine."

"See, Cecil?" Rosa said triumphantly.

"But you know…" Kain continued smirking, "I thought maybe we'd go up to the hills today. Maybe climb that really big rock?"

"Okay, sure!" Rosa said brightly. "Cecil, you've been up there right?" He only shook his head.

"I don't leave the castle much, except to go to the village. I've never been to the hills…but I've seen them from far away…aren't they kinda…well, huge?" Cecil remarked hesitantly.

"Oh, don't worry Cecil. We climb them all the time. You'll be just fine." Kain said snickering. He was already formulating plots to humiliate this frail-looking newcomer.


	3. Half Bad

The two boys sat on the bridge as far away from each other as they possibly could. One was stretched out on the railing of the bridge, hand trailing over the side lazily. He glared fiercely at the moat as if it was the water's fault he was so bored. The other boy sat on the ground, pale features looking very out of place compared to the other's short blonde hair and tan skin. Though he stared up at the sky with a serene expression, it was evident from his fidgeting that he was uncomfortable in this situation as well.

The blonde sighed as the silence continued. He knew both of them only went here for Rosa, and without her presence the entire situation was awkward. They had only come to this place out of habit; they hadn't known what else to do with themselves. But Rosa wouldn't be back for a while…he wasn't sure how long, but whatever it was it seemed like centuries were passing by. He almost laughed when he recalled just how proud he was to hear Rosa excitedly tell him she was going to become a white mage. Now he wished he had begged her to stay with him. Did she honestly expect him to deal with _him_?

He glanced over at the white-haired boy. He was studying the sky with a stupid smile on his face. There was no way he could ever be friends with Cecil Harvey. Frustrated, he flicked a pebble into the moat. The minuscule splash it made was far from satisfying. He studied the moat, wondering how much trouble he'd get into if tried to jump in. No, it wasn't worth it. He'd heard rumors of all sorts of monsters that lurked in the castle's waterways, and while he'd love to try to challenge them, someone might tell his father…the boy stiffened involuntarily. No, there was no way he was going to get Richard Highwind angry at him.

"Is …is something wrong, Kain?" A voice called softly.

Caught off guard, Kain nearly fell into the moat at the sudden sound. Gripping the railing to steady himself, he glared at the source of the sound. "His Royal Highness" Cecil Harvey had come back to Earth.

"Yeah. You." Kain retorted frigidly. Cecil continued, completely unfazed. He'd grown used to the older boy's callous attitude towards him in the past year.

"Um…would you like to…um…you know…_do something_?" Cecil said shyly, for once showing the slightest bit of exasperation in his voice.

Kain had every intention of stubbornly ignoring the boy, but prospect of lying on a bridge all day wasn't exactly tantalizing. "Like what?" He asked eagerly.

"We could go to the village, if you'd like."

"Sure, whatever." 'Anything to get away from here', he thought to himself.

Kain glanced back at the small, panting boy. It hadn't taken them very long to reach the town, but it was much longer than he'd like. The kid was so…sloooow. " So, what do you wanna do?" Kain asked.

"We could go shopping!" The boy said, eyes sparkling. Kain stared at him incredulously. He was such a _girl_!

"…are you serious?"

"Of course! Don't worry; I have enough money and everything." That, at least, was definitely true. The boy's bulging satchel made his look like a beggar's cup. He just hoped he wouldn't get the blame if the boy was robbed.

"Fine…where do you want to start?" Kain asked grumpily.

"Mmm…let's go in there!" The little boy gestured towards a lavish, ritzy boutique." Rosa and I shop there all of the time!" Kain tried to stifle a laugh. Maybe that was why she liked Cecil so much, he bought her expensive clothes no one but a prince could ever afford. That had to be it.

"Hey, Kain, look!" Cecil shouted excitedly. Kain stared dully at the direction he pointed. So far, Cecil had been buying expensive clothing that Kain wouldn't be caught dead in, as well as some new dresses for Rosa. Naturally, Kain refused to accept anything from the child, or to help him, so his hands were empty. But it was extremely entertaining to see Cecil weighted down with all of those bags.

Following Cecil's gaze, Kain found the boy looking at a window display. His eyes widened. There, as if it were calling to him, was the most magnificent lance he had ever seen. It was a light blue, with silver prongs jutting out that resembled intricately carved wings. To Kain, it was like it was glowing. Cecil…had a lot of money left. Surely he could spare enough for him?

"Hey, Cecil…do you that you could…you know-"Kain cut himself off when he realized he was alone with discarded shopping bags in the narrow street. Peering around, he finally found the white-haired child talking animatedly to an elderly man inside the shop. Confused, he was about to step inside when he saw the man walk towards the glass case. He took out the brilliant spear and handed it to Cecil as if there was nothing wrong with giving a small child an expensive, dangerous weapon. From the huge sum Cecil gave, no one would care who they gave the lance to. Cecil looked over his shoulder and flashed Kain a knowing smirk. Kain clenched his fists.

"How dare he…" He whispered into the alley. Of course that spoiled brat would buy the one thing he wanted on this entire stupid trip. Kain glared at him icily as the boy walked out with an inane grin on his face.

"…Ready to go?" Kain inquired, crestfallen. Cecil laughed at him.

"Don't you want your present first?"

"…huh?" Kain said dumfounded.

"Here." Cecil said, handing him the sparkling weapon. Kain only stared at him. "I could tell from the way you were looking at it you wanted it. I had to get you SOMETHING while we were out!" Cecil added.

"…Thanks." Kain smiled, all grudging tones lost from his voice.

"You're welcome!" Cecil said, clearly proud of himself for changing Kain's demeanor. Kain paused for a bit, feeling foolish that this child would still buy him a gift after he was so nasty to him.

"Hey. Cecil. You, uh…come on." Kain cut himself off and grabbed Cecil's arm, hauling him down the cobblestone street.

"What are you doing???" Cecil shouted, taken aback.

"Shut up a 'sec." Kain murmured as he studied the surrounding shops. Then his eyes lit up when he found what he was looking for, and Cecil found himself being dragged across a square. Kain shoved him into a bright little shop. Although he didn't really have time to read the sign, the smell coming from the store was mouth-watering.

Kain didn't say anything, but only rummaged through his small pouch for a few coins. He handed them to a pudgy, friendly looking man, who gave him two pastries in return. Then he turned and marched right out the door, without saying a word to Cecil. Confused, the child scrambled after the older boy. He found him sitting alone by the river. As he sat down beside him, Kain passed him a cream-filled treat.  
"For the lance." Kain explained simply.

"Thanks, Kain!" Cecil said happily, digging in immediately. The boys sat there for a while, neither saying a thing. But this time, they were only pausing to enjoy their pastry, not because of tense, deep-seated loathing. After a while, Cecil finally broke the silence.

"Hey Kain…"

"Mmf?" Kain tried to say, his mouth full of food.

"What's your dream?" Kain didn't say anything more since his mouth was full, but his confused expression was more than enough. "I mean, what do you want to be when you're older?"

"The Captain of the Dragoons." Kain said automatically. Cecil raised an eyebrow.

"Is that _your_ dream, or is it your father's plan for you?" Cecil asked without missing a beat. Kain's face looked like it was on fire, but he said nothing. How the heck was he supposed to respond to that??? Even though, of course, it wasn't true. He had his own dream, no matter what his father said or did. He was himself. No one would ever change what Kain what wanted but Kain, right?

"W-well…what about you? Plan to be a chivalrous, unbeatable knight by day and rule the kingdom by night?" Kain's condescending attitude was back again.

"I don't really know." Cecil murmured sincerely, face scrunching up in thought. Then his face broke out in a wide beam. "Maybe I'll be a Dragoon with you!" Kain smirked.

"I don't think they accept twerps." Kain said, still resentful from earlier.

"Is that why you're always training? Rosa's worried about you, 'ya know. She thinks you're going wear-"Kain cut Cecil off as shock spread across his face.

"Dang it! I totally forgot about that! Ugh, I am so late…" Looking terrified, Kain scrambled to get his new lance. "Thanks Cecil, that actually wasn't a horrible morning." He smiled. "You're not bad." He started to run back to the castle, but halted and turned back with a teasing grin. "Just half."

Cecil watched Kain race to Baron Castle feeling happier than he had all year. Kain was just being Kain, Cecil knew what he meant. He was sure everything was going to be so much better now that they were friends...right?


	4. Partners in Crime?

Hello! I'm so sorry that I took so long to update this! I had a lot of problems with inconsistency in my timeline...okay, and I was just lazy. But. hey, at least it's four pages! So, please enjoy reading this strange wall-of-text, and review if you like virtual cookies!

* * *

The spacious hall was at its maximum capacity. It was adorned by all manner of ornaments and decorations, of course, but mainly it was packed with people. It seemed as though every person in Baron had put on their finest clothes and crammed themselves into the hall. The hall was filled with noise as well. As much as guests tried to keep quiet, it's impossible for an entire kingdom's worth of whispers to be quiet.

Still, the excitement of the guests was understandable. It wasn't everyday that one attended the initiation ceremony of one of the youngest Dragoon Lieutenants. Nor was it average for this new lieutenant to be a prince. It was also incredibly rare for this ceremony to coincide with the sixteenth birthday party of this prince. The jubilance of the hall was contagious to most, but there was one person who was immune to the festivity: The very son of the Dragoon's Commander.

Kain was glaring stubbornly at a pillar, as if it was the bane of his existence. He knew very well that his sullen expression and slouching posture was the exact opposite of the contented grin he was expected to wear, but he didn't care. Who would see him? As the son of Richard Highwind, Kain could have been a part of the processional. However, his father insisted that Kain remain a spectator. He was at least given a seat in the front row, but he was in the far corner, completely out of sight from his father. The royal family, high ranking military officers, and various noblemen had the right to the center, pushing Kain into his corner. He wished he could be near someone he knew, but instead he was stuck next to a boring old Navy Admiral. The man looked as if he were going to fall asleep any minute. As long as the man didn't fall on him, it was fine with him. Kain was happy to be hidden from view as opposed to watching _his _future position being taken away. And by Marvin, no less.

Marvin. Why Marvin, of all people? Sure, his combat skills are phenomenal, and he passed the Dragoon entry test with ease at such a young age, but…the boy was an animal. He loved to hurt people, and didn't really care whether he attacked friend or foe. One dragoon was still hospitalized from a case Marvin's "accidental friendly-fire". Couldn't his father see that Marvin was bad news? Kain's pleas were always ignored by his father. Richard Highwind would barely talk to his son in the first place, let alone be convinced he had made a mistake.

And now the sadist was being knighted. Taking an oath. Accepting a pin. Making a speech. All around him, people were cheering, but Kain couldn't even look. He felt sick. Finally, the ten-year old couldn't bear to watch. Using the pillars and the shadows to hide him, Kain crept past the mob and out of the hall, just a few minutes before the ceremony would end. He followed a narrow corridor that would soon be crowded with guests and made his way to the ballroom, which was now serving as a banquet room.

He glanced around the large room, having never seen it decorated so richly. Beautiful tapestries depicting scenes of Baron's history covered the walls, having been moved here for the prince's birthday. Whatever space left in between the tapestries was adorned with magnificent paintings and golden ornaments, leaving no wall bare. Only one side of the room was empty, which would serve as the dance floor. A vacant orchestra pit sat waiting for the performers, who were practicing frantically somewhere else in the castle. Garlands of stunning flowers wound their way around the pillars of the room, while more sweet-smelling blooms were arranged attractively in expensive vases. Hundreds of tables dotted the other side of the room, each accented by a crystal centerpiece. Three long tables stood against the wall, all piled high with delicious food. In most situations, Kain might have stolen some early dessert. However, the ten-year-old found himself eyeing the extravagant decorations in disgust.

Marvin didn't deserve such finery, Kain was certain of that. The lavish attention paid to the prince was bothering him more and more. The fact that he was now Richard Highwind's pride and joy only added more fuel to the fire growing in Kain. He couldn't take it anymore.

"This should wipe that stupid grin off his face!" Kain said with a smirk as he knocked over a vase near the door. The following crash as the vase hit the floor was strangely satisfying, and Kain couldn't help but smash another. And another. And another. Tear off some garlands. Overturn some tables. Rip some priceless paintings. Throw a crystal plate or two. More and more, faster and faster. Kain was a whirlwind of destruction, happily taking out his frustration on the equivalent of millions of Gil.

"Kain?" A familiar voice called out. Fear, relief, and above all, shock could be detected in the nine-year-old's voice.

"…Cecil?" Kain froze on the spot. Caught up in his anger, he never noticed the boy enter the room. He peeked around the room, only just realizing the impact of what he'd done.

"Kain, what have you done?" Cecil shouted in horror.

"I…uh…I…what are you talking about? I don't see anything wrong." Kain wasn't the best liar. Plastering a fake smile on his face, he tried to hide the vase he was about to throw behind his back, as if that would hide everything else he'd done. Instead, he dropped it. The crash sounded like a bomb in the too-silent room.

"Kain…" Cecil said softly, walking towards his friend. "Are you okay…? I saw you leave the Great Hall with this strange look on your face, and I figured you were going to do something stupid, but…this?" He gestured at the remains of the party décor.

Kain frowned at the assumption he was going to do something stupid. He avoided Cecil's eyes, focusing all his attention on removing shards of vases from his bleeding skin. "I-"

But the boy was interrupted by the sound many footsteps heading their way. Kain looked at his friend in fright, terrified at the thought of the entire kingdom finding out what he'd done…or worse, his father. Then, Cecil did something strange. He grabbed two crystal centerpieces that had managed to stay intact during Kain's rampage. Slowed down by the heavy orbs, the small boy scampered over to the window and did something that was entirely unusual for Cecil: he broke a window. Then he leaned out of the hole and threw his other orb at another window, breaking it from the outside. Picking up a shard of broken glass, he deliberately slashed himself, and then ran back to his openmouthed friend.

"What are you-" But Kain was cut off again, this time by the slamming of doors and numerous gasps. A sea of stunned faces gaped at the sight of two panting, injured boys surrounded by wreckage. At the front of this throng was the King of Baron himself, and he wasn't exactly pleased.

"What in the world is going in here? It looks like a tornado went threw here!" The monarch looked accusingly at Kain, who was even more flustered than before.

"I…I'm sorry, Your Majes-" Kain wondered if he should get a prize for being interrupted the most in a day. All jokes were pushed out of his head when his father burst through the crowd, Marvin close behind.

"What has my son done now?" Richard Highwind roared.

"It wasn't our fault!" Cecil spoke for Kain. The King turned his attention to Cecil, as if he just noticed the boy was there.

"Cecil? This doesn't look very much like the bathroom."

"I know…I was on my way, but I heard shouting and crashing sounds coming from the ballroom, so I went to go check it out. When I came in here, I found Kain fighting a monster." Cecil replied calmly.

Realization finally dawned on Kain. Cecil, perfect Cecil, was actually lying to the King. For him, when he didn't even know why Kain had ruined the party.

"A monster?" Marvin said scornfully. "And where did this monster go?"

"He flew away!" Kain shouted, trying his best to help Cecil's lie. All eyes suddenly turned to him, and he fished for a believable story. "It was a huge flying monster with one eye that was THIS BIG," he gestured, "and he was really strong! I thought I was done for, but then Cecil came in. He helped me fight the monster, and it flew away!" Kain pointed to the window that was broken from the inside.

"And in the process of defeating this monster that had somehow made its way past hordes of trained soldiers and into the castle, you happened to completely destroy the room?" The Captain of the King's Guard, Baigan, called out. Kain and Cecil shared embarrassed expressions.

"It was a strong monster…" Kain muttered.

The King glanced around the room, fully taking in the mess the boys had made. Finally, his eyes rested on the two boys in front of him. "Do you expect me to believe that two children defeated a monster and received only a few scratches from the battle?"

"You can believe what you want, but that doesn't change the truth." Kain snapped rudely. His father's eyes seem to pierce his own as he glared at him, but Kain stayed composed. The King glanced at Cecil, who was well-known as the most trustworthy of his trio of friends.

"Cecil, is this true? Or is Kain putting you up to this?"

The white-hared boy met the eyes of his adoptive father, his voice steady. "Yes, we really did fight a monster." The King held his gaze for a moment, trying to detect a hint of fear in the young prince.

"Well…you seem to be telling the truth. And even if you're not…there is no way for me to change what already happened. Now, aren't we supposed to be at a party?" The A smile tugged at the King's lips as he turned to a group of servants, "it's a lovely day for a picnic, isn't it? Let's move this party outside! You, find the orchestra! You three get together whatever food you can salvage from here, and you, go tell the chefs to prepare a picnic lunch!" As the servants scurried off and the crowd dispersed, the King smiled at Cecil one last time and muttered, "Nine, NINE, and he's already fighting monsters? I knew there was something special about that boy…" He laughed and followed his subjects outside, leaving only a small girl standing in the doorway. Extremely cautious of the broken glass, she slowly made her way to the relieved boys.

"I can't believe you two just got away with that! That was the fakest story I've ever heard!" Rosa remarked.

"Hey, we tried our best!" Kain retorted indignantly. He turned to Cecil, "Uh…thanks, by the way. I never would've thought of the thing with the windows…you really saved my butt back there…this time." Kain added quickly, refusing to acknowledge the many times Cecil had helped him.

"You're welcome. Again." Cecil beamed at Kain.

"So…what exactly did happen, anyway?" Rosa inquired. Both of them turned expectantly to Kain, who sighed exasperatedly.

"I just got a bit frustrated at Marvin…for being Marvin. And…maybe I went a little overboard."

"A little?" Rosa raised her eyebrows, "Looks like someone cast Berserk on you."

"Okay, so maybe more than a little overboard." Kain shrugged. Rosa looked like she was about to say something, but Cecil cut her off.

"Hey, guys…why are we wasting time when there's a party outside? Let's forget about this, okay?"

"Love to. But I'm not going to forget that goody-goody Cecil just lied." Kain grinned.

"But he did that for you!" Rosa shouted. Cecil frowned at her.

"I thought you were going to say I'm not a goody-goody." Cecil said, pouting.

Rosa and Kain looked at him for a minute, trying to see if he was serious. To Cecil's dismay, Rosa erupted into a fit of laughter just a moment before Kain.

"Hey! I'm serious! I am so not a goody-goody! I just broke a window to cover up for you ruining Marvin's party!" Cecil argued a bit too loudly. Said windows happened to look onto a courtyard, which had been selected for the site of the picnic.

"Kain did what?" Richard Highwind's voice drifted through the window. The three friends looked at each other, all wearing expressions of horror.

"Run." Rosa whispered.


End file.
